City marooned in 1st downpour

Mumbai: After a much-delayed monsoon, Mumbai received its first heavy rainfall of the season on Friday. Although, the rains came as a relief from the sweltering heat, there was no change in monsoon related problems in the city.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed that 100 per cent desilting work was completed and remedial measures were taken on all 255 chronic flooding spots in the city. However, these spots were waterlogged after the rainfall on Friday raising an eyebrow on BMC’s claims.

The BMC in its defense said it was the neap tide on Friday at 8.42 am accompanied with heavy rains that caused the waterlogging in the city.

The total rainfall on Friday from 8 am to 6 pm was 67mm in city area, 120.47mm in Eastern Suburbs and 90.27mm in Western Suburbs. Colaba and Santacruz weather stations recorded 26.1mm and 140.4mm rainfall respectively. Suburban Mumbai recorded more rainfall than the city.

The BMC officially confirmed that areas like Colaba market, Mazgaon, Hindmata, Sion Road no 24, Matunga camp, Chembur Postal colony, Govandi, Sakinaka Junc-tion, Ghatkopar-Mankh-urd link road, Trombay’s Cheeta camp, Huma mall in Kanjurmarg, Andheri Sunway, Milan subway, Malad subway, National college and Jogeshwari-Andheri link road faced waterlogging.

Furthermore, waterlogging was also recorded at Kings circle, Bandra and Khar West, Andheri Sahar Road, WEH metro station, Wadala metro station, Sewri, Kurla Sheetal cinema, Ghatkopar (west) amongst others.

Thane and Kanjurmarg railway station were flooded while traffic was affected due to waterlogging. Traffic on roads returned to normal as waters receded by afternoon on Friday.

“There is no coordination between central agency and ward officers on desilting nullahs. The minor nullas that carry garbage to major city nullahs are not cleaned properly by ward office. If main areas like Andheri Sahar Road and WEH are flooded then the situation of the internal areas would be far worse,” said Jamesh John, coordinator of NGO AGNI

A senior officer from Storm Water Drains (SWD) department said, “We have installed high capacity dewatering pum-ps in Sion, Chunabhatti and Hindmata due to which rain water was not stagnant and receded fast. However, the waterlogging can be completely eliminated at the areas like Kurla, Sion, Matunga only after Mahul pumping station is operational which would take a minimum of two years. In Andheri and nearby areas, the Mogra pumping station would give relief.”